Conquered
by Esmooria
Summary: CU. Kagome has to care for her greatest enemy in the hospital, and can't help but hold a grudge. How Sesshoumaru and Kagome have to overcome their differences and come to accept each other.
1. Unexpected

**A/N:** This story was started for dokuga_contest's weekly drabbles (and bi-weekly oneshot contests). The prompt for this was 'perfect.'

I'd also like to mention that this fic is loosely based on my parent's story. Not all will be the same, of course, but there will be certain situations that my parents experienced that will be here - they've had quite the humorous romance. ;)

**Word Count:** 100

Originally posted on August 15, 2010.

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Unexpected

"Okay ladies, I'm done for the night!" Kagome yawned and checked her watch, cheery demeanor not betraying her exhaustion. The night shift wasn't what she had pictured when taking the job as a nurse, but they needed her there.

"Wait, Kagome! Before you go, you should go to room 102. There's the most _handsome_ young man in there!"

After some urging from the women on her shift, she caved, not expecting the youkai that was waiting for her.

"Sesshoumaru?" Her surprise was only overcome by her anger as she stared his seemingly perfect human appearance, her mind in the past.

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**End Note:** So, this is how my parents met. She was a nurse, and he was a patient in the hospital-that her older coworkers 'gently' nudged her to go check him out. ;) (She was _not_ impressed at first-not because he wasn't cute, but because he was a smoker, and she is allergic to cigarette smoke. I inherit that from her. xD)

Anyway, please review! I enjoy reading what you all have to say, even if I don't always respond.


	2. Red

**A/N:** With voting closed on dokuga_contest brings another chapter to fanfiction. ;) This particular chapter was for the prompt 'early.'

As mentioned before, these entries are for the drabble and oneshot contests on dokuga, and since these contests come with a word limit, most of these chapters will be 100-400 words. However, every other week there are oneshot contests, which will bring the slightly longer chapter-above 500 words. Just a friendly reminder to those who might marvel at just how short these updates are. ;)

**Word Count:** 200

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**Red**

Kagome continued to stare at the taiyoukai, frozen in the doorway. For one terrifying moment, she was in the past again, and in the next she was reminded that this was _her_ world, and Sesshoumaru had survived long enough to see the era Kagome had so foolishly filled his mind with.

At least, for now, he was sleeping. It was almost strange for her to see him this way; in all their travels together, she had never seen him sleep. She had asked him one time, and he claimed that since he didn't _need_ sleep, he would be staying awake to protect their little entourage.

_Some protection._

Kagome rolled her eyes to herself before whipping around and exiting the room, face red with anger as she stormed out of the hospital, so angry she forgot to say goodbye to the rest of her coworkers.

One of the elder women—who happened to be in control of the schedule—eyed the other woman with a gleam in her eye. "I think I see sparks," she commented in a singsong voice before pointedly assigning Kagome to Room 102 the next night, to care solely for the taiyoukai.

"It's too early to tell."

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**End Note:** Please do review! I love hearing what y'all have to say~


	3. Room 102

**A/N:** Written for the dokuga_contest's biweekly oneshot contests. The prompt for this one was 'nemesis.' It's still somewhat short-ish in my opinion, but it _is_ a bit longer than the drabble contest entries will be, at least. ;) Please do enjoy.

**Word Count:** 791

Originally posted on August 18, 2010.

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**Room 102**

Despite her anger towards the taiyoukai, Kagome was glad that she had been assigned to care for him in outpatient surgery. She wanted answers, and she'd have plenty of time to get them. Not that anyone could ever _really_ get anything out of him—if there was something he didn't want to say, he wouldn't say it.

Nevertheless, she was hopeful, and she was glad she was going to have the privacy of being his nurse. What made things better, is that he was her _only_ patient, which meant she could devote 100% of her time to him, and getting the answers she needed.

Kagome had never been one to deny anyone the care they needed, whether or not they had been enemies of hers—she couldn't count the times that she had cared for people who had tried to kill her. She couldn't help but think that Sesshoumaru was _different_ from those, though; he'd done so much more than just try to kill her.

He had broken her spirit without even trying.

When the well closed up, she didn't even want to go back anymore. She was content to just forget about everything that had happened in the feudal era: Naraku, the Shikon no Tama, _everything_. Of course, she could never _really_ forget what had happened there, and the year of her life that she spent there seemed like the most real year of her life. She was truly living then, and now it seemed like she was just alive.

Part of her was okay with that, and the other part of her longed to bridge the gap between the two times again, longing to see her friends just for one moment so that she could know that they were okay—to know that they were _alive_. It wasn't the first time she had wondered if she had gotten stuck on the wrong side of the well.

She'd be lying to herself if she would've said that becoming a nurse wasn't the byproduct of her time in the feudal era. As much as she hated sickness and pain, she loved caring for people in need, and that was what had brought her here. Six years later, and she knew the effects of the feudal era would never wear off. She felt almost closer to what she had started to consider _home_ every time she took care of someone. Her care mostly fell to surgical patients, either in pre-op or post-op; she felt more fulfilled that way, because she was catering to the comfort of her patients, and she'd always loved bringing people comfort.

But now she had to bring _comfort_ to Sesshoumaru—and she wasn't even sure he'd felt _any_ pain throughout the surgery. Inuyasha had certainly bragged enough about how his body was different than hers, that he healed so much more quickly and that what hurt her didn't hurt _him_ nearly as much. If it was like that for Inuyasha, certainly it was something similar for Sesshoumaru—but he probably felt it even _less_.

Kagome felt the need to close her eyes and take a deep breath. _Inuyasha_. The name brought so many memories and so much pain that she honestly felt it better not to think about him. That was another reason she despised Sesshoumaru—he was making her think about things she'd rather _not_ think about.

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She stood outside of Room 102 and took a deep breath. _Let's do this._

She pushed the door open, letting the weight of the door control the swing, and she was relieved to find that it closed of its own will behind her. She was certain she was being watched, and if she would've closed it herself, it would've looked suspicious. Or…maybe she was over-thinking it. Her heart nearly stopped beating when she laid her eyes on the nemesis of her former love.

"Sesshoumaru," she mumbled under her breath, and couldn't decide if she was relieved or anxious that he was awake this time.

There was absolutely no recognition in his eyes at first, and then the realization hit him—and his eyes widened slightly.

"I guess that means you recognize me," she accused, brown optics staring daggers into masked violet eyes. She hated the resemblance he bore to Inuyasha's human form right now.

Sesshoumaru remained wordless, as he so often did, and Kagome only crossed her arms. "I'm not going to pretend like I like you, but you're going to give me some answers."

At another long stretch of silence, Sesshoumaru's eyes never leaving Kagome's face, with absolutely _no_ change in his expression, Kagome pressed on, feeling much like she'd be getting about as much progress from talking to a plant. Maybe _more_.

"Tell me why you killed Inuyasha."

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**End Note:** Bum bum BUUUM. Haha, just kidding. Anyway, please review - you know how much I love reading them! ;)


	4. The Only Way

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly perfection contest. The prompt for this week was 'tame.'

This may answer some hanging questions the last few chapters may have brought up. But not too many; that would be too easy. ;)

**Word Count:** 300

Originally posted on August 24, 2010.

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**The Only Way**

Sesshoumaru blinked slowly, watching the expression on Kagome's face grow more and more angry—a feat he didn't even realize was _possible_.

"Do not ask questions you already know the answer to, miko." His answer was slow and calm, directly contrasting Kagome's flaring anger. Kagome's only answer to that for awhile was to cross her arms, her spiritual energy crackling, brushing up against his youki dangerously.

She took a deep breath, working hard to calm her anger and tame her abilities as Sesshoumaru patiently waited. Finally, she was able to regain complete control; only then did she speak.

"I _don't_ know the answer! There had to have been another way," Kagome protested, and Sesshoumaru only closed his eyes, head shaking slowly.

"Nothing but the Shikon no Tama could have reversed it—but only his death could bring the jewel back."

"No! I won't accept that; I _never_ will! You killed him when we could've found another way. Don't think I'm going to forgive you for this, Sesshoumaru." Probably the worst part of all this was that she knew Sesshoumaru was right—the jewel had turned him into a full youkai, and he wasn't even Inuyasha anymore. He would've wanted Sesshoumaru to kill him to protect everyone—to protect _her_. She couldn't help but feel partly responsible for the death of her first love.

Violet eyes widened when Kagome closed the distance between him, pulling the corner of his covers back. Surely she wasn't going to try to purify him? Not that she would succeed; he was _much_ too powerful for that. Kagome scanned Sesshoumaru's face before lifting up his new prosthetic arm, rolling her eyes at his confusion.

"I'm your nurse; I have to check your dressing." She gestured to her scrubs, almost smirking. "I _am_ at work, you know."

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**End Note:** Hope you enjoyed it! Please PLEASE review; I love reviews! :)


	5. Extreme Measures

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contests. The prompt for this chapter was 'palm.'

Please enjoy! :)

**Word Count:** 400

Originally posted on September 1, 2010.

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**Extreme Measures**

She peeled back the bandages, her surprise ill-concealed when she saw that the wound had yet to heal. It looked about as she would have expected it to—for a _human_.

Her brow shot up in slight confusion as she spared another glance for the taiyoukai. "Shouldn't this be healed by now? It's not like you heal as a human, even in this disguise," she commented lightly.

Her sudden and complete detachment put Sesshoumaru on edge—much more than when he thought she might purify him.

"Yes, it should be. But they want to keep me here for a week, and they cannot see inhuman progress on someone they assume to be human."

When Kagome stood there, pointedly waiting for an explanation, Sesshoumaru sighed, lifting his right arm, palm facing upwards. He thought he saw Kagome's eyes widen when he allowed the concealment spell to partially slip, showing his bloodstained claws for _just_ a moment. Just as quickly, the illusion was back, and Kagome was staring at a very ordinary human hand.

"Let me get this straight—you've been _re-opening_ your wounds?" Her voice was a quiet whisper, but her shock was still evident. It _almost_ brought her out of the fake, impersonal tone she'd been using.

Finally relinquishing hold of his prosthetic arm, Kagome sighed as she grabbed her clipboard, making the proper notes.

"Well then, Mr. Taishou, can I get you anything?" The sickeningly sweet tone of her voice, _and_ the blatant use of his family name, nearly made Sesshoumaru wince.

It was then that he realized he'd rather have her fury unleashed on him and be killed with her purity than be killed with her kindness.

"No, nothing at all, _Nurse Higurashi_," he answered in clipped tones, and this caused Kagome's face to flush with anger.

"Alright, then." She forced her too-sweet smile, and turned around to leave, and all Sesshoumaru could think was that he just fed the fire somehow.

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"Well, well, Kagome!" She was forced to stop at the sound of Mrs. Surami's voice, and she turned and smiled at her.

"Hi, Mrs. Surami. Mr. Taishou doesn't need anything, so I was just going to go on my break."

"Alright, dearie," Mrs. Surami said, a twinkle in her eye as she mistook Kagome's flushed face for a blush, and made a mental note to keep Kagome as his nurse for the duration of the week.

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**End Note:** Hope you enjoyed this little drabble! Please review - you know how I love your input!


	6. Memories

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's bi-weekly oneshot contest. The prompt for this chapter was 'pinch.'

Enjoy the longer chapter! ;)

**Word Count:** 2,290

Originally posted on September 3, 2010.

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**Memories**

Sesshoumaru let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes. It was really very tedious pretending to be a human, but what else could he do? There were very few youkai around in this era, and as much as he used to despise the idea, now he felt that integrating into society was his main priority.

He also knew the reason he felt so strongly about that had been the hope of meeting up with Kagome again. He knew that it would take a long time for her to forgive him, but he also knew _Kagome_—and he knew that she would, eventually, forgive him. That was just how Kagome was.

It didn't take long for his thoughts to drift back to the events that had led to Inuyasha's death, as they so often did.

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_In the feudal era_

"I can smell him," Inuyasha growled, and suddenly the entire group was alert. Kagome was the second to jump up, and she stood by Inuyasha's side.

"You're right—I can sense the jewel! He hasn't used it yet!" It was certain that the group was surprised by this information; ever since Naraku had obtained the Shikon no Tama completely, they had expected him to make a wish on it, and they had been dreading it ever since.

Inuyasha inhaled deeply, and his hand balled into a fist. "It's _just_ him. He hasn't created any new incarnations, either."

It was Sango who said what everyone else was thinking. "Just _what_ does Naraku have planned for the jewel?"

Sesshoumaru stood up, drawing his Bakusaiga. "It does not matter. He will not get the chance to execute it—we will kill him and get it back."

Kagome looked back, smiling at Sesshoumaru before giving Inuyasha's arm a squeeze. "He's right. Today is the day!" Her optimism put Inuyasha more at ease, but he still had a bad feeling about today. He had always been confident when it came to fighting Naraku—sometimes, _too_ confident—but now that Naraku had the whole jewel, it made him nervous. _He could wish for anything at any time—until we get the jewel from him_.

Miroku slipped his arm around Sango's waist and grinned. "Today is the day," he said, echoing Kagome's words, and suddenly the entire group was filled with confidence—except for Inuyasha.

He drew Tetsusaiga, waiting for Naraku to approach. He didn't _look_ like he wasn't confident; he looked just as confident as he usually was. He felt that was important for the group mentality; if _he_ didn't appear confident, it would affect _them_ feeling confident.

Before they knew it, Naraku was there, and he was holding the jewel with a smirk. Kagome sent the first attack, her purification arrow blazing as it soared straight towards him, but before it could reach him he had a barrier up.

It was then that Inuyasha lifted his Tetsusaiga, glowing red fiercely to break the barrier. And it was then that the jewel began to glow within Naraku's hand, and Inuyasha froze.

"Make him a _full youkai_."

Suddenly, everyone was quiet, frozen in horror—even Sesshoumaru. He'd seen his little brother transform on accident many times, but the Tetsusaiga controlled his youkai blood, and it was _always_ reversible. Would the Tetsusaiga keep this from happening now? There was no doubt that the Shikon no Tama was more powerful than the Tetsusaiga, but now their only hope was that Inuyasha would retain his soul when he transformed—and it wasn't a very _high_ hope, at that.

It was a hope that was destroyed when the Tetsusaiga rejected Inuyasha's hold, burning his hand and dropping to the ground, instantly returning to what looked like an old, rusty sword, and Inuyasha let out a growl that let them know it was going to be just as it was whenever he became a full youkai—except this time, irreversible.

Kagome, who was still at Inuyasha's side, dropped her bow and arrows to clutch Inuyasha's shoulders. He was struggling against it, the markings on his face but his eyes were still golden, looking at Kagome pleadingly.

"Kagome, you have to get away from me," he said in a raspy voice, obviously struggling. Claws elongated as he grabbed Kagome's shoulders, forcing her to let go of his. It felt completely different than his other transformations; it was stronger, but less rapid. However, even as he stared at Kagome, he started forgetting her. "This isn't going to be reversible!"

"Inuyasha…no!" Kagome screamed, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, not willing to let go. "We'll find a way to reverse it, I promise!"

At this, Naraku chuckled, voice echoing throughout the forest. It was only then that they realized he had disappeared. "The jewel has disappeared; there is no way to reverse his transformation. You will all die by Inuyasha's hands, or you will kill him and die by mine."

Kagome's eyes began to water as she only clung more fiercely to Inuyasha. "No! I won't let that happen! I'd rather die than let harm come to him!"

"That's what I was afraid of," Inuyasha choked out, and before Kagome could protest, he had thrown her off of him. His eyes were now red, blue irises expanding as a soul-shattering growl ripped through his throat.

Sesshoumaru knew if he didn't kill him now, his power would only keep increasing—and he might even be too strong for _him_ to defeat. Golden eyes glanced around the campsite, falling on every member of their party: Jaken, Rin, Ah-Un, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara—and, lastly, Kagome, whose widened eyes were still staring up at Inuyasha in horror. When he looked into Inuyasha's eyes, he saw hollowness there, and he knew exactly what his brother would want: his own death, so that he would not harm those he valued above himself.

Bakusaiga crackled with energy as Sesshoumaru lunged at Inuyasha, killing him nearly instantly. As Inuyasha lay at his feet, Sesshoumaru noted that he had not even attempted to fight back; he had not fully transformed yet, and he had _wanted_ to be killed before he could do something he wouldn't even have the capacity to regret.

When Sesshoumaru turned his eyes once more towards the group, they were all staring at him in horror—all except Kagome, whose horror-stricken face was still turned towards Inuyasha's body, her eyes glued to him.

Miroku pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut tightly to avoid tears he knew would only come when he was alone. "Naraku…has hurt us for the last time," he declared, opening his eyes slowly to focus on Sango. "He will _not_ survive our next encounter," he promised, and then he pulled Sango into his chest as the tears began to flow freely from her.

He couldn't believe Sesshoumaru had actually _killed_ him, but he also knew that Inuyasha would have wanted it. Sympathetic and sorrowful eyes fell on Kagome, and he wondered if she could see that, too.

"Use Tenseiga on him!" she ordered, suddenly on her feet, directly in front of Sesshoumaru. "_Now_!"

Sesshoumaru only shook his head, and though he rarely let his emotions be known, everyone could tell he was mourning. "He would still be a full youkai," he said slowly, "his soul would be lost."

"I don't _care_! There's a way to fix him, and we're going to find it! We'll just…keep avoiding him until we can!"

He let out a sigh as his eyes fell on his brother. "Kagome…he'd keep fighting until he was killed. He would have rather been killed immediately then to kill the innocent…or to risk harming you."

She narrowed her eyes and turned to Miroku and Sango. "I—I can't anymore. I'm sorry," she murmured, and she turned and ran back to the well, leaving her yellow backpack and leaving her friends all baffled at her sudden disappearance. They understood her sorrow—they all felt it—but they would've thought she would stop at nothing to see Naraku's death, and to see the end of the jewel for good. Instead, she left to her own world, never to return.

"Sesshoumaru—will you go retrieve her in a few days, after she's calmed down?" Miroku's voice was softer than Sesshoumaru ever remembered it being, and he could only nod once. "We will give Inuyasha a proper burial; even if Kagome does not wish to travel with us anymore because of the pain, I'm sure she'll want to pay her respects."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, then dropped on his knees in front of Inuyasha. "I will bury him," he murmured, and Miroku only nodded. "Alone." His voice was dangerously soft, and Miroku didn't hesitate to lead the still-weeping Sango away, a mourning Kirara carrying an uncharacteristically silent Shippou, and he motioned for Jaken to bring Ah-Un and Rin to follow.

When Sesshoumaru moved Inuyasha to the grave he had dug for him, he noticed that Inuyasha's fist was closed around something. As he laid him down in the grave, he carefully pried back Inuyasha's fingers, his eyes widening as he realized just what he had been holding onto.

_The Shikon no Tama._

It hadn't been there when Inuyasha was alive—Sesshoumaru was positive of it. He knew Inuyasha's hands had both been free when he was clutching Kagome's shoulders, and when he had thrown her off of him.

Did this mean his death had brought the return of the Shikon no Tama, since the selfish wish had been destroyed?

Holding the jewel in his hands, he noted that it had lost its glow—and that he felt no power coming from it, at all. He couldn't figure out the meaning, but he tucked it into his kimono, vowing that Naraku would _not_ get a hold of it once more.

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They all waited breathlessly as Sesshoumaru jumped into the well, and Shippou leaned over it and gasped. "He's still here!" Sesshoumaru growled slightly as he jumped back out, landing with ease beside them.

"The well no longer works for me."

"I wonder if you were only able to go because Inuyasha was connected to Kagome, and Inuyasha was always able to go?" Sango wondered aloud, and Sesshoumaru only shook his head; he had no answer.

Sitting on the edge of the well, Sesshoumaru let out a long sigh. "I wonder if Kagome is able to get back through."

Shippou swallowed his tears long enough to declare, "If Kagome doesn't come back, it's because the well closed up. She left because she was upset, but she wouldn't have abandoned us forever on purpose! She'll come back if she's able." His childlike faith encouraged them all, and they knew what he said to be true.

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Tears blurred Kagome's eyes as she stared down at bottom of the well, her legs hanging over the edge as she prepared for the fall.

She wasn't ready to go back—but she _had_ to. Her friends deserved more than her running away; besides, they had all loved Inuyasha—well, all of them but Sesshoumaru. She doubted Sesshoumaru ever loved Inuyasha, even though he'd been travelling with them in peace for awhile. If he was able to kill him, he _couldn't_ have loved him; she wasn't going to believe anything differently.

And if her friends couldn't just escape to another world to forget, she wasn't going to either. She was going to go back and travel with them—and avenge Inuyasha. Naraku was going to pay, and she was going to deliver that payment. Maybe she would even stay in the feudal era after it was all over; besides, it seemed more like home than this did.

She took a deep breath and jumped, and when her feet hit the bottom, she wasn't in the feudal era—but at the bottom of her well at the shrine, and the only thing she had to show for her attempt was a broken ankle.

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_In the present_

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes as he pulled his left arm out from underneath the covers. Uncurling his fingers, he stared at the jewel that rested in the palm of his hand. Still inactive, after all these years, but it was the Shikon no Tama nonetheless. He'd not been allowed to bring anything into surgery, but he was never without it, so he had kept it in his hand, completely hidden within his grasp. He was in no danger of accidentally letting go during surgery; the drugs used to put humans to sleep were not strong enough for him, and so he'd been awake the whole time. It didn't bother him, really; he'd received much worse in terms of pain, and it wasn't nearly as painful as it would've been for a human. The only time he'd let go of the jewel was when he showed Kagome his hand, devoid of illusion, to explain how his injuries were not yet healed.

He closed his fingers around the jewel once more, his hand back under the cover just as his new nurse for the morning entered the room.

"Good morning, Dr. Taishou. My name is Nurse Surami; please let me know if there's anything I can do for you!" The elder woman winked at him, and he noted that there was something almost mischievous about her smile.

"I have a question for you, Nurse Surami." Violet eyes studied her as she eagerly leaned forward; in a weird way, she reminded him of Rin. Well, how Rin was when she had grown to be this woman's age, that is. "When does Nurse Higurashi work again?"

Mrs. Surami's eyes twinkled with excitement as she reached forward and patted his prosthetic arm. "You'll see her again tonight; don't you worry your pretty little head."

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**End Note:** The longest chapter I've written for anything for awhile! Hope you enjoyed the uncharactaristically long chapter, though. ;) Please review, I want to hear your opinions! :D


	7. Sacrifice

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contest. The prompt for this chapter was 'wall.'

Hope you like it!

**Word Count:** 349

A version of this drabble was posted on September 9, 2010.

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**Sacrifice**

It was all so tiring sometimes. Inhaling deeply, Sesshoumaru detected that no one was near his room, so for now he was safe. He pushed down the covers on the hospital bed and swung his legs around to the side, letting his feet lightly touch the floor below.

In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru was in front of the wall mirror, studying his human form with distaste. It wasn't that he despised humans anymore, it was simply that this _wasn't_ him. After a few moments of this, he let the concealment spell slip.

As cold, golden eyes stared back at him, regrets of the past came bubbling to the surface. He glanced at his prosthetic arm—the only part of him now that still looked human—and sighed. However, he didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts for long, because just then he heard the door creak open. How could he have missed it?

Kagome saw a flash of white before she was staring at the human-looking Sesshoumaru, and violet eyes stared at her before he relaxed slightly. At least it was _her_ that had seen him in his youkai form, and not someone who didn't know who he truly was.

When Kagome saw the relief in his eyes, she understood, but it irked her that he _still_ felt relaxed around her, even after what he'd done.

Sesshoumaru's hand tightened around the inactive jewel as Kagome stared at him for a few moments, and with curiosity she could no longer contain, she let out a sigh.

"How did you lose your arm again, anyway?" Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel relief that the detachment from the previous night was no longer there, and he gave a careless glance to the prosthetic arm at his side.

"Naraku took it in our final battle." He lifted his chin slightly, his eyes never leaving Kagome's. "It was a small price to pay for his death."

Kagome wasn't sure if he meant in comparison to Inuyasha's death or Naraku's, but either way she was pleased to see the sincerity in his eyes.

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**End Note:** The contest entry was cut down to 300 words, per contest requirements; however, I felt the uncut version explained things a bit better. Perhaps unneccessary (because my contest entry _did_ still make sense), but I like it better this way. ;) Please review!


	8. Planned

**A/N:** Originally written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contests. The prompt for this chapter was 'scam.'

I apologize for being late on this post. I should also mention that I didn't meet the deadline for the oneshot contest-though I'm considering starting a new story specifically for the oneshot contests, and having this story as mostly drabbles (with, perhaps, the occasional oneshot). I haven't quite decided yet, but I'm pretty excited about the new plot running around in my head.

**Word Count:** 200

Originally posted on September 19, 2010.

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**Planned**

"You're ridiculous." Mrs. Surami turned her eyes to the mirror before her and only smirked towards the faceless voice.

"Come now; you know as well as I that we're all pawns in destiny's plans. But! There's no reason we can't speed things up a bit!" She tapped on the mirror lightly, and Sesshoumaru and Kagome came into view. "My now, they're standing much too far apart for my liking!"

A small scoff could be heard. "You treat matchmaking as if you're a scam artist; you realize this, don't you?" There was a short pause. "What's in it for you, anyway?"

She shook her head. "Only the pleasure of getting to mess with a miko and a youkai. Can't you just _imagine_ what fun it will?"

The man behind the mirror sighed. "Kagome will figure it out eventually," he commented, but the twinkle in Mrs. Surami's eyes only confirmed the pleasure she was getting out of this mischief.

"Aye, but it will be _far_ too late, then, dearie." She left no room for argument as she placed the small mirror in her purse and left her office, toddling towards Sesshoumaru's room in hopes of getting a better look at the situation.

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**End Note:** Please review! Hope you enjoyed it. :)


	9. Comfort

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contest. The prompt for this piece was 'flame.'

I am _most_ pleased to say that this piece won third place! :)

**Word Count:** 100

Originally posted on September 26, 2010.

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**Comfort**

The silence stretched on, and Kagome's eyes fell to the floor under the uncomfortable intensity of Sesshoumaru's gaze. She almost jumped when he spoke; in past times, it was always _she_ who had broken the silence.

"You never came back." Though it didn't sound at all accusatory, he couldn't help but notice the flame of anger in her eyes when she finally looked at him.

"The well wouldn't let me. I tried." Her eyes fell to the floor again, and he could smell the guilt on her.

"I know." He paused, determined to get his point across. "We _all_ knew."

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**End Note:** Please review! Hope you enjoyed it. :)


	10. One Step Forward and Three Steps Back

**A/N:** Sorry this upload is a day late. I was busy all day yesterday; my fiance is back in town for our three year dating anniversary. :) This post was written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabbles. The prompt for this chapter was 'tremor.'

**Word Count:** 300

Originally posted on September 28, 2010.

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**One Step Forward and Three Steps Back**

"Really?" There was a tremor in her voice as she spoke, the hope in her eyes unhidden when she looked up. "They didn't think I deserted them?"

"They believed in you, Kagome. When you didn't come back, they knew it was because you _couldn't_, not because you _wouldn't_."

Kagome sank into the chair beside the hospital bed, and Sesshoumaru sauntered over and climbed back in, knowing questions would be inevitable if _another_ nurse came in and saw that he'd taken the liberty of detaching himself from the IV fluid. He reattached it with ease—he'd done it enough over the years—and Kagome didn't even seem to notice.

"Wait. You still traveled with them? They still _let_ you?"

Sesshoumaru gave a single nod, but then added, "They bore no ill will towards me for Inuyasha's death. They understood the necessity, and only hated Naraku _more_ for it." His voice was quiet, silently pleading for her forgiveness now that she knew her friends had forgiven him.

"Even Shippou?"

"Yes." Kagome's shoulders hunched at this news; surely if her friends were able to forgive him with such ease, _she_ should be able to as well. But it wasn't that easy.

The anger in her scent had subsided _some_, but it was still there. Sesshoumaru took a deep breath, violet eyes trained on Kagome for any sign of…_something_. When nothing was provided, he decided to push further.

"He would've wanted it this way. Inuyasha would have done anything to protect you—including allowing me to kill him before he could no longer reason with himself."

This new bit of information caused Kagome's head to snap up, her eyes locking with Sesshoumaru's. Fury was in her gaze instead of relief, and he saw her hands clench the armrests until her knuckles turned white.

"_What_?"

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**End Note: **Poor Sesshoumaru can't seem to get anything right. For someone who doesn't talk much, it seems he gets himself into trouble with his words with Kagome a lot. ;)

Please enjoy! And reviews, as always, are appreciated! :)


	11. Unwanted Thoughts

**A/N:** Well, it just came to my attention that I never actually uploaded this...oops. I've had a rather busy weekend. Sorry for being late! Anyway, this was written for dokuga_contest's weekly perfection drabble contest. The prompt for this chapter was 'chest.'

**Word Count:** 200

Originally posted on October 12, 2010.

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**Unwanted Thoughts**

Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome with incomprehension in his eyes. Just what had he said that had made the miko this upset—again?

"Did you just say Inuyasha was still _aware_ when you killed him?"

_Oh_. "He _wanted_ it," he tried, but Kagome was already standing up, her arms crossed over her chest and chin held high enough that she wasn't looking at him.

"I don't seem to recall you _asking_ him if he wanted it before running him through with Bakusaiga!" Kagome winced as she spoke, suddenly feeling very ill at even having to think about the way Inuyasha had died—and having to verbalize it. She didn't think she'd ever spoken about it as openly as now, and the result caused her stomach to turn violently.

Her hands moved over her stomach as she tried to force the nausea away, but a tear slid down her cheek as she turned from Sesshoumaru completely.

"I hate you," she whispered, eyes trained on the ground as she tried to control her breathing.

It was at this moment that Nurse Surami let the door creak open, visibly confused as to what was transpiring between the miko and the youkai.

"Kagome? Mr. Taishou?"

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**End Note:** Apologies again for the lateness! Please review; reviews make me happy! :)


	12. Stranger

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly perfection drabble contest. The prompt for this entry was 'tuck.'

I've been told I was cruel for this chapter... My apologies. ;)

**Word Count:** 400

Originally posted on October 14, 2010.

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**Stranger**

_What on earth happened in the minute long walk to get here?_ Nurse Surami couldn't imagine what had ruined their tender exchange. Her eyes fell on the youkai, and she had to fight to keep from raising her brow. _What did he do?_

Kagome whirled around, her arms still protectively over her stomach. "I have to go home…" she quietly declared, and the older nurse smoothed over her confused expression with her best smile.

"Of course, dear. Feel better." Kagome nodded and quickly left the room, not even bothering to hit her locker before beginning her walk home.

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Nurse Surami turned to Sesshoumaru, her smile still intact as discerning eyes swept over him. "She gets ill sometimes," she commented, moving to grab the clipboard and to check Sesshoumaru's dressings. "We speculate she's had a hard life," she tried—but didn't expect Sesshoumaru to really give anything up. Her expectations were met when the silence stretched on.

She lifted his dressings slightly, and swallowed a chuckle threatening to make itself known. "Well, Mr. Taishou—it looks like you can go home. Your wound is completely healed—not even a scar!"

Violet eyes widened slightly as he realized his mistake—but he also noted how casually the nurse had reacted. _Something's off_, he thought, but decided to keep his suspicions in check. "I will prepare to leave, then," he murmured, pointedly looking at his neatly folded clothes and then back at her, waiting for her to make her exit. Getting the hint, the woman turned and left.

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The night air seemed to drop rapidly at once, and Kagome froze in her place. The familiar feeling of youki surging throughout the area was overwhelming, and her heart was all but stopped in terror. This aura—it was no less than malicious.

"You're a strong one, aren't you?" The voice behind her would've been soothing had it not been laced with malice. "You noticed my presence as soon as I willed it," he practically purred, sending a shiver down her spine.

She tentatively tucked a stray hair behind her ear before bravely turning to face the stranger.

"Who are you?" All sense of fear vanished from her demeanor and her scent as the fire in her eyes burned passionately, her glare almost impressing him. And he _might_ have been impressed, if he didn't know she'd be dead soon.

"You'll know soon enough, little miko."

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**End Note:** I live for reviews. :)


	13. Unspoken Promise

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contests. The prompt for this chapter was 'ignore.'

**Word Count:** 200

Originally posted on October 22, 2010.

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**Unspoken Promise**

It took absolutely no effort on the demon's part to slash a hole in Kagome's stomach, and in an instant they were in the air, Kagome completely unconscious. _This will be easy_, he mused as he made his escape, sure that no one would follow them.

The smell of Kagome's blood reached Sesshoumaru's senses almost immediately. Violet eyes widened as he bolted out of the room, ignoring the strange looks from all the nurses. He had to get to Kagome…_now_.

He felt Mrs. Surami's eyes on him as he dashed out, paperwork in hand—but he didn't have time to care.

As soon as he reached the outdoors, he let his illusion slip. A flash of white was all anyone would see as his speed increased, following the scent of his long-time companion's blood. It didn't matter that she hated him; he'd never forgive himself if she were to die. She'd survived all that time under _Inuyasha's_ care; could he not do the same? It was a silent promise he'd made to Inuyasha upon his death—one he was sure could be seen in his eyes.

And Sesshoumaru was certainly one to keep his word—even if it remained unspoken.

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**End Note:** Reviews make me happy. :)


	14. Uproar

**A/N:** A day late...again. ::sighs:: Forgive me? This was written for dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contest. The prompt for this chapter was 'pure.'

I am most honored to say that this won second place! ::smiles:: I'm also pleased to announce that _Conquered_ has somehow made its way onto the Dokuga 3rd Quarter Nominations list! It was nominated under 'Best Canon' with seven other wonderful serials!

**Word Count:** 300

Originally posted on November 2, 2010.

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**Uproar**

Kagome Higurashi was a rare breed. Fate had thrown her around, tossing her life upside down, and somehow, the girl had managed to remain relatively optimistic about its outlook. Her optimism was amusing, her sorrow was delicious, her spirit was seductive.

Her purity was astounding.

He could feel it tickling his skin, teasing his senses, tempting his soul. Nothing would stop him from devouring everything that she was.

Her life was _his_.

And there was absolutely nothing Sesshoumaru could do to stop him from breaking her.

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Her scent was diminishing, and Sesshoumaru was panicking. Never in his life had Sesshoumaru come across someone more puzzling, nor had he come across someone so frustrating. She'd always been so willing to forgive, and yet this forgiveness had not extended to him. Was his crime against her really so unforgivable? Was her heart so pure that the forgiveness wouldn't extend to him—that it _couldn't_ extend to him?

Why did he even care if she forgave him? He hadn't seen her in over five hundred years; he'd gotten by just fine _without_ her forgiveness. Was it because he had trouble forgiving himself for the death of his brother, or was it because he actually cared that she hadn't forgiven him?

Surely this one girl couldn't cause such an uproar in his life? And yet, as thoughts of Rin flashed through his mind, he knew there was no believing that. However, unlike Kagome, Rin had actually been fairly easy to handle. He couldn't even try to put the complexity that was Kagome into the same category as the simplicity of Rin.

As a piercing scream reached Sesshoumaru's ears, followed by the scent of Kagome's fresh blood, he pressed on even harder than before, with a renewed purpose that he hadn't felt since Rin's death.

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**End Note:** You know how I feel about reviews. ;)


	15. Helpless

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly perfection contest. The prompt for this chapter was 'stare.' My contest entry was pruned to 100, but I felt it was more effective before being cut quite that much. So, the word count for this entry stands at 126.

Originally posted on November 8, 2010.

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**Helpless**

"Who are you?" Kagome pressed, narrowed brown eyes giving the mysterious youkai a glare that would've been impressive—if she wasn't so weak from the injury he'd given her.

"It does not matter," was the clipped answer, and he only smirked at her. "Nothing will come from knowing the name of your killer."

Her eyes widened, and reiki sizzled underneath her skin, lashing out and wrapping around him threateningly. Visible burns appeared on his skin, but he only started laughing, and Kagome couldn't help but think he'd gone mad.

What kind of youkai laughed in the face of purification? Unless…unless he knew she wouldn't be strong enough to kill him.

Just then, a strong youki hit her senses, and Kagome's eyes lit up in recognition.

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_Sesshoumaru._

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**End Note:** I like reviews. :)


	16. Hidden Motives

**A/N:** Written for dokuga_contest's weekly perfection drabble contests. The prompt for this particular chapter was 'twitch.'

**Word Count:** 200

Originally posted on November 8, 2010.

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**Hidden Motives**

"Drop her." Deadly golden eyes bore into the youkai who held Kagome in his hands before the male's lips quirked up into a smirk.

"Don't make me laugh," the youkai chuckled, only tightening his grip on Kagome so much so that his claws drew more blood. Kagome let out a small gasp, her pleading eyes never leaving Sesshoumaru.

"What is your business with her?" Sesshoumaru took a step closer to the youkai, which only resulted in the youkai taking a step back.

"I've no business with _her_," he corrected, staring at him maliciously. "My business is with _you_; this girl's death is simply a perk."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red, and with a twitch of his hand, the green whip had elongated and wrapped around the youkai's ankles. In another instant, the youkai was on the ground and Sesshoumaru was up in the air, catching Kagome easily in his arms.

"Her life is not yours to determine," Sesshoumaru's soft voice countered, and he turned to look him in the eyes once more. "Now, tell me this 'business' you have with me."

Before Sesshoumaru could get an answer, the youkai had completely vanished, not even giving him a name to go by.

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**End Note:** Ah, the suspense continues... ::wink::


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